Did YOU Get Fingerprinted The Last Time You Bought A Car? No, We're Not Kidding, It's Happening

These days when you buy a car, although there's a wealth of information and knowledge via the internet, dealerships still are playing their games. You know the ones.

Part of it is simply the dealership trying to play with newbie consumers, but there's also a tremendously dark side to it. The dealers are trying to avoid being the victims of fraud. And in the "new economy" where everyone's trying to keep up with the Joneses, and a few have a skeleton or two to hide, the sales front is employing new tactics to stay in front of criminals.

I last bought a car three years ago, so, I can't speak to it; however, AutoSpies' big cheese — Agent001 — is more familiar with the latest hoops one has to clear to get access to a set of wheels. In the past 90 days he's snapped up two and was a bit taken aback when the dealership required him to get fingerprinted to prove he was the individual who filed out the credit application. By doing the fingerprinting, it allows the proper authorities to catch fraudsters quicker.

Here's the kicker: even if you aren't taking out a loan and are paying via check or cash you STILL need to go through the fingerprinting.

So, we have to ask the AutoSpies faithful that has recently picked up a new ride: did YOU get fingerprinted the last time you bought a car? If so, please let us know what state you're located in.

leej - 7/22/2014 8:00:17 AM

+1 Boost

I'm not sure why trying to prevent fraud, taking fingerprints is considered a 'dark side'. It's not only protecting the dealership, but YOU as well, with so many folks being the victims of identity theft...all the more reason when paying cash instead of via a loan. I say, job well done!

Agent009 - 7/22/2014 8:39:22 AM

+1 Boost

Not with the last vehicle purchase, however at my last drivers license renewal I had to cough up:

old license, finger prints, birth certificate, social security, proof of residency, and passport.

Yeah homeland security needed a serious update on Agent009

All of that and I still get a picture that makes me look like a eastern block warlord.

MattDarringer - 7/22/2014 12:41:09 PM

+1 Boost

Our dealers do not fingerprint or shoot video. The fingerprinting is dead wrong public relations because it treats all customers as criminals. I called one of our attorneys and it was his professional opinion that the dealer cannot require fingerprinting and that the customer would have an easy lawsuit if denied a purchase for not complying. The same is true for the video. The customer has the absolute right of refusal but could not be denied a purchase because of it.

Agent001 - 7/22/2014 6:36:22 PM

+1 Boost

I've been thumb printed on my last 5 car/truck purchases in Ca. They're all doing it here.

001

TauronB2G - 7/23/2014 6:15:40 AM

+1 Boost

No way never...they only fingerprint you because you let them. If people start walking out of dealerships it will stop. There is no reason that a private business needs your fingerprints. What happens with that info post purchase? Will it be sold like your credit card info? There are plenty of other dealerships that I can buy cars from that will gladly take my money without taking my fingerprints.
T

MattDarringer - 7/23/2014 10:31:01 AM

+2 Boost

It's basically NOT LEGAL for them to fingerprint or to shoot video. @Agent001 "I've been thumb printed on my last 5 car/truck purchases in Ca. They're all doing it here." (1) You're a fool for complying and (2) "ALL" dealerships are NOT fingerprinting.

Agent001 - 7/23/2014 7:44:07 PM

0 Boost

You don't give the print, you don't get the loan.

I got nothing to hide anyway.

001